Rocker Box Build

After watching some rocker box action on you tube I've decided to try building my own.

Here are the videos here:




I've drawn up a basic rocker box in Google Sketchup.





As shown in the second video, the idea is to use a manual bilge pump to supply water. I'll use a 1/2 or 1/4 inch sieve in the top of the box and run miners moss with expanded mesh in the sluice box. The angle of the sluice box is set at 10 degrees and the bilge pump will be 55 lpm. Hopefully this angle and waterflow will be enough to clear the dirt from the box.

Using a plugin I've unfolded the sketchup model and this is the result:



Its probably not going to be possible to get it cut and folded as one piece, two pieces cut and folded then riveted together will probably be the way to go.

I have a couple of questions for those more knowledgeable in sheet metal, will 1.2mm aluminium be strong enough for this and is there anywhere in Cairns that can cut and fold this.

Looking forward to any comments and advice people may be able to give.

Cheers

Gerard

I've seen the cardboard mock up in person and I think Gerard is onto a winner with this one.

Only suggestion I could offer at the time was to put a hinge on the upper half of the top section that holds the sieve at the back and add a small handle to the front of the upper half of the top section for easy clean-out of the sieve with the materials being discarded to the back of the rockerbox.

Thinking more about it though you may want to pop rivet a single riffle at the end like Warren did in the first video to help hold the miners moss in and act as a final security to ensure any gold doesn't fly off the end. You could always take it out once you are happy nothing is being lost up the top of the box.

Also with that low water flow you may need to go to a higher angle to clear the material. But if you were to put a 12v 2000gph bilge pump on her ($40 at Supercheap Auto) then I think she would clear the material with no worries and you could shovel dirt all day on it and process a tonne of material.

I think its a great design and should work really well. Best of luck with it.